1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conveyor for conveying a photo-sensitive material along a conveying path from a first processing section to a second processing section, for example, from an exposing section to a developing section.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The related art will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross sectional view of an exposing section 11 and a part of a developing section 12 of a photo-processing apparatus.
In the exposing section 11, a photo-sensitive material 10, which is roll-shaped and wound at a magazine 9, is fed by a feed roller, cut into lengths corresponding to each frame by a cutter 1 and then the photo-sensitive material 10 is sent onto an exposing table 2. The exposing table 2 is provided with an endless adsorptive belt 3 which circulates along a triangular path composed of three rollers disposed at each vertex. The photo-sensitive material 10 is sent to a predetermined position by the movement of the belt 3 in a direction shown by an arrow A in FIG. 9.
The adsorptive belt 3 is provided with a plurality of small apertures and the photo-sensitive material 10 is adsorbed to the adsorptive belt 3 by providing a vacuum to the underside of the belt 3.
The photo-sensitive material 10 sent to the predetermined position on the exposing table 2 is exposed and printed with an image on a film 8 held in a negative-mask 6 using a light from a light source 4 projected through a mirror tunnel 5, a negative mask 6, a lens unit 7 and so on. After being exposed and printed, the photo-sensitive material 10 is sent to the next stage of the developing section 12 by a conveyor 13.
FIG. 11 is a plan view of the photo processing apparatus. The conveying path at the exposing section 11 shown by an arrow B in FIG. 11 is laterally offset from the conveying path at the developing section 12 shown by an arrow C in FIG. 11. Herein the lateral direction is defined as a direction shown by an arrow X in FIGS. 10 and 11 and it is substantially perpendicular to the conveying paths at each of the sections 11 and 12 shown by the arrows B and C in FIG. 11. The reason for the lateral offset is that the exposing section 11 can not be displaced at a space 14 in FIG. 11 where a reservoir or effluent tank for the developing section 12 is displaced.
Further, as is apparent from FIG. 9, the height at which the photo-sensitive material 10 is taken out of the exposing section 11 is lower than a height at which the photo-sensitive material is brought into the developing section 12. In other words, the height of the inlet of the developing section 12 is higher than the height of the outlet of the exposing section 11.
Under the above circumstances, conveying the photo-sensitive material from the exposing section 11 to the developing section 12 needs a lateral conveyance shown by the arrow X in FIGS. 10 and 11 and a vertical conveyance shown by an arrow Y in FIG. 9. The conveyor 13 is equipped to assist these conveyances.
FIG. 10 is an external perspective view of the conveyor 13. The conveyor 13 comprises a frame 16. The frame 16 rotationally holds a plurality of roller pairs 15 and holds a motor 17. The motor 17 drives the roller pairs 15 through an endless belt not shown. The frame 16 itself is attached to an endless belt 18. The endless belt 18 is driven by a motor 19 in the direction of the arrow X. The frame 16 is guided in the direction of the arrow X by a pair of upper and lower slide rails 20 connected with the frame 16 by a slidable connection.
In the developing section 12, a tank 21 is divided into several compartments by a plurality of partition boards 22. Each compartment is equipped with a rack which horizontally supports a plurality of roller pairs 23 for conveying the photo-sensitive material 10 in the tank 21 and is driven by a driving mechanism not shown. Between the conveyor 13 and the developing section 12 there are also rollers 24 for sending the photo-sensitive material 10 into the tank 21.